This invention relates to a respiration exercising device and in particular to a device for enhancing inspiration for improvement of pulmonary performance.
One of the main causes for slow recovery of post-operative patients has been inadequate oxygen exchange in the lungs resulting from shallow breathing accompanying the use of general anesthesia. This condition can lead to partial or complete collapse of the lungs and to pneumonia.
Various methods have been proposed for preventing such pulmonary complications including instructions to the patient to breathe deeply, coughing exercises, and the use of blow bottles or the like to enhance expiration. Such methods of lung exercise have not been too successfull since the alveoli are not adequately expanded.
Recognizing the greater benefits from methods employing positive pressure breathing, i.e., dilating bronchi and expanding unventilated alveoli by positive inhalation, several devices have been introduced to stimulate the patient in improving his inspiratory capacity. One such device currently in use consists of three light weight balls each contained in three vertical tubes interconnected at their tops and with a vent at the bottom of each tube. When a patient inhales through a breathing tube attached to the first tube, one or more balls will rise to the top of their respective tubes depending upon the strength of the inhalation. Although this device is inexpensive and disposable, it lacks versatility since it has the capability for measuring only three values of inspiratory capacity.
Another such device which has recently become available comprises a breathing tube connected to a closed container with a vertical tube resting on the container and housing an air floatable ball. The top of the tube has an air passage in communication with the container and an air vent at the base of the tube. A dial on the container provides means for varying the size of an aperture into the container which regulates the amount of air flowing through the vent causing the ball to rise to the top of the vertical tube when the patient inspires through the breathing tube. Although this device is somewhat more versatile than the model employing three balls in terms of indicating inspiratory capacities, each depends on the ball float rising to the top of a tube as an indication of a specific volume in the patent's inspiratory capacity. No accurate indication of capacities which are intermediate between dial settings are possible, i.e., where the ball is supported by flow of air through the vent so that it rises only part way up a tube on which indicia may be marked, since the ball cannot be maintained in a steady condition, tending to "bounce" up or down so that reading the position of the ball with any degree of accuracy is not possible.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved respiratory exerciser which assists an individual in increasing his inspiratory capacity and permits him to measure easily and accurately said capacity over a wide range of values.